Nagpur, Nov 24:
Skipper Virat Kohli’s decision to play only four specialist bowlers was vindicated as India bundled out a defensive Sri Lanka for a paltry 205 on the opening day of the second cricket Test, here today.
At stumps, India were 11 for 1 with KL Rahul (7) back in the pavilion, being played on to a Lahiru Gamage delivery.
With no demons on a sporting track where stroke-play wasn’t too difficult, the visitors never got going as spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (4/67) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/56) along with comeback-man Ishant Sharma (3/37) shared the spoils.
After the completion of first innings, Ashwin now has 296 wickets in his 54th Test. He will get another innings in this game plus the Delhi Test to get the remaining four scalps and break Dennis Lillee’s (56 Test) record fastest to 300 wickets.
Sri Lanka were 160 for four at one stage during the final session looking good enough to stage a fightback before a batting collapse saw them lose six wickets for only 45 runs.
Their batsmen were ultra-defensive in their approach during the first session on a Jamtha track which had good bounce and carry but was far from the menacing green-top that was on offer at the Eden Gardens during the first Test match.
The lack of intent to get going in the second and third sessions affected their performance with only skipper Dinesh Chandimal (57) looked like in control till he was at the crease.
The other batsman with notable contribution was opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who was twice lucky in the first session — being dropped once and stumped off a no-ball another time, but still he could not fully capitalize on the reprieves getting out for 51 in the post-lunch session.
The immensely talented Niroshan Dickwella (24) committed hara-kiri when things were starting to look up during the post tea-session. He tried to whip Jadeja through mid-wicket and the ball ballooned up for Ishant to take a simple catch at mid-off. (PTI)
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